How to get your free annual credit report – our step-by-step guide

Being aware of your credit score is a necessary part of being financially responsible. You might be wondering, “how do I obtain my credit report?” Well, if you’ve ever tried getting a car loan, home loan or a personal loan and have ever been denied, it could possibly because of what shape your credit report is in. So, let’s talk about what a credit report is and how you can get a free copy of it.

How can you get a free credit report?

Good news! Federal law entitles you to a free copy of your credit report once every 12 months from the three major credit-reporting agencies: Equifax, Experian and TransUnion. You can get a free copy of all three bureaus’ versions of your credit report at AnnualCreditReport.com. And you can also get your score for free at places like credit karma or, often, your very own credit card provider.

Rod Griffin of Experian.com says, “It’s an important step in rebuilding and maintaining good credit.” We say: make sure you take advantage of your free annual credit reports!

What are the paid options? What if you need additional reports?

If you need access to your score more than once annually, then there are paid options on each bureau’s websites. You can pay for a report with a score at the individual agencies. According to Nolo.com, if you need an additional copy of your report, or if you don’t qualify for a free copy, you’ll have to pay about $1 to $11 to get a credit report from one of the nationwide credit reporting agencies. You can find their contact information below:

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